Kanpur: The Lamborghini drew curious onlookers in hordes. Among them were women and a dozen school-going boys who had bunked classes to catch a glimpse of the “accident car” parked inside the Gwaltoli police station campus in Kanpur’s Arya Nagar area.
The black Lamborghini, registered in the name of Kanpur-based tobacco supplier K.K. Mishra, came into the public eye over its involvement in an incident Sunday which left at least three people injured. Kanpur police say Mishra’s son Shivam was at the wheel of the car. But the family maintains that a driver was at the wheel, not Shivam.
“A driver named Mohan was in the car. He has even filed an application in the local court saying he was in the vehicle at the time of the accident. My client, Shivam, was seated on the adjacent seat; he was not driving,” Mishra’s lawyer Dharmendra Singh told ThePrint.
Besides Shivam Mishra, the incident has also brought intense scrutiny upon the Kanpur Police who registered a case against an “unknown” person a day after the incident. This case was registered on a complaint by Mohammed Taufeeq, one of the injured.
ThePrint made multiple attempts to reach Taufeeq but his cell phone was switched off.
A resident of Chaman Ganj area, 18-year-old Taufeeq said in his complaint to the police that he was standing near his friend’s Bullet motorcycle when the black Lamborghini, coming from the Parmat side, struck the bike and him, seriously injuring his left leg.
He alleged that the same car also struck and injured others.
Pressure on the police intensified to the point that Kanpur Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal intervened, initiated action against a station house officer (SHO) and told the media that, contrary to claims by Mishra’s lawyer, Shivam was indeed at the wheel.
On Monday, Shivam Mishra’s name was added to the FIR.
He has, however, not been taken into custody in connection with the case.
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Banshidhar Tobacco Pvt Ltd
Shivam Mishra’s father K.K. Mishra, also known as Munna Mishra, is one of three directors of Banshidhar Tobacco Pvt Ltd. Incorporated in 1992, the Kanpur-based firm supplies tobacco to pan masala makers across India. Shivam, too, is listed as a director in the firm.
K.K. Mishra’s name first made national headlines in March 2024 when the Income Tax (IT) department raided multiple locations linked to Banshidhar Tobacco across Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and other cities. At the time, the IT department reportedly seized unaccounted cash, jewelry worth Rs 7.5 crore and luxury watches valued between Rs 5-6 crore.
Assets linked to the Mishra family, including villas and a fleet of premium cars with identical number plates, were also reportedly examined.
‘Where are the injured?’
Mishra’s lawyer Dharmendra Singh alleged that a “false narrative” is being spread on social media about several people being injured. “Where are those people? No one has come forward in the media to talk about their injuries. It was just a minor accident involving a luxury car, but it has been turned into a major issue through media trials.”
Eyewitness accounts and a purported video of the incident suggest bouncers tailing Shivam in another car pulled him out of the Lamborghini through the driver-side window.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, K.K. Mishra too claimed that a driver was at the wheel. Shivam, he said, suddenly felt dizzy after which the bouncers pulled him out of the car. “My son’s condition worsened quickly. He was unconscious by the time he reached home. We immediately sent him to Delhi, where he is currently under medical supervision.”
On Tuesday, unseen CCTV footage emerged of the Lamborghini entering the area with an SUV in tow. But it is not clear who was at the wheel since the windows have black tints.
Speaking to the media later in the day, Kanpur Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal reiterated that Shivam Mishra was at the wheel of the car at the time of the incident. The FIR was initially registered against an “unknown” person since the complainant did not know the name of the person driving the Lamborghini, said Commissioner Lal. He also said a police team was sent to the Mishra residence to inquire if Shivam had any medical conditions.
Police sources told ThePrint that the investigation is proceeding, albeit under pressure; there has also been little follow-up from the side of the complainant or those who were said to be injured, sources added. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has called for strict action in the case. “The law is equal for everyone, and action should be taken,” he told reporters Monday in Lucknow.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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